Effects of irrigation, spacing and fertilization on flowering and growth in young Alnus rubra.

Flowering and vegetative growth were assessed in 19 half-sib families of Alnus rubra Bong. planted in a replicated field trial near Olympia, Washington, USA. The trial consisted of three square spacings (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 m), two irrigation regimes (low and high), and two fertilization treatments (0 and 300 kg P ha(-1)). Male and female flowers were surveyed in all plots for all families at plantation ages 4 and 5 years. Female strobili were surveyed for seven families in the 2-m spaced plots at plantation age 6 years. The percentage of trees flowering and the number of flowers per tree were always greatest, and height and diameter growth were always least, in the low-irrigation regime. Phosphorus fertilization had no effect on the percentage of trees flowering or on 5-year height or diameter growth; it had a positive but small effect on the number of female flowers per tree at age 5 years. Wider spacing resulted in larger trees, higher rates of flowering, and higher tree survival. Within each irrigation regime, the percentage of trees flowering increased as tree size increased. There was substantial variation in flowering among families, with positive but low correlations between tree size and flowering attributes. At ages 4 and 5 years, the ratio of number of trees flowering in the low-irrigation regime to number of trees flowering in the high-irrigation regime differed among families. By age 6 years, many more trees flowered than in previous years, and differences between irrigation regimes were reduced. Early growth rates were rapid and resulted in substantial crown recession and mortality in the closer spacings by age 5 years. We conclude that spacings less than 2 m should only be used in seed production areas if roguing can be done by age 2 to 3 years.